The production of “green” hydrogen via electrolysis is seen as a key decarbonization pathway for certain industry sectors, but its efficiency can be hampered by a number of factors, including the accumulation of gas bubbles on electrode surfaces within electrolyzers…
Storing energy to smooth the intermittency of wind and solar power can be accomplished in a number of ways, including mechanical (pumped hydro, flywheels, compressed air and others), thermochemical (phase-change materials and molten salts, for example), chemical (conversion of electricity…
Breaking the stable carbon-fluorine bonds within per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is one of the most significant challenges in mitigating persistent PFAS pollution. The Hydrothermal Alkaline Technology (HALT; diagram), invented at the Colorado School of Mines (Golden, Colo.; www.mines.edu) and…
The Netherlands-based startup company Ore Energy (Amsterdam, the Netherlands; www.oreenergy.com) recently announced that it has successfully connected its flagship iron-air battery system to the electric grid in the city of Delft, the Netherlands. It is the first iron-air battery system…
This month’s column gives a brief overview of the Chemical Engineering brand. While long-term readers need no introduction to the magazine, newer readers might be interested in the history of the magazine and what we cover. Perhaps even long-term readers…
Energy- and carbon-intensive, steel production is categorized as one of the most “hard-to-abate” industries, making the scaleup of decarbonization technologies crucial not only for steelmakers themselves, but for every downstream industry in the supply chain Responsible for some 9% of…
Most existing carbon-dioxide removal (CDR) approaches have focused on air, but the volumetric concentration of dissolved inorganic CO2 in surface water is much higher (150X) than its concentration in the atmosphere. Removing CO2 from water could prove to be a…
A first-of-its-kind energy-recovery system harnesses the energy of water flow and pressure in pipelines to produce renewable energy. The patented HydroXS unit, developed by InPipe Energy, Inc. (Portland, Ore.; www.inpipeenergy.com) in collaboration with Grundfos Corp. (Brookshire, Tex.; www.grundfos.com/us), is a…
Pyrolysis has received much attention as a technology capable of breaking down waste plastics in recycling processes, but existing pyrolysis approaches often give rise to products with broad molar mass distributions and poor yields. Catalysts can improve yield and selectivity,…
Conscientious operation and maintenance is critical for steam-generator system reliability. Here, important details for softening and reverse osmosis systems are explained and compared As steam generation technology and higher pressure and temperature boilers evolved in the 20th century, improved makeup-water-treatment…